DTU Tenure Track Researcher in Computational Mechanics for Composite Structures

The Technical University of Denmark, Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering invites candidates with excellent qualifications for a position as Tenure Track Researcher in the field of Computational Mechanics for Composite Structures. The Researcher will be associated with the Lightweight Structures group at the Section for Structures and Safety, one of ten sections in the department. 

The Lightweight Structures group has around 10 staff members and is focused on research, education and innovation within primarily polymer-based fiber reinforced composite structures within a broad spectrum of applications ranging from aircrafts, ships, offshore structures, vehicles and energy applications.

Currently the group is involved in several international research cooperation networks focused on damage tolerance of composite aircraft structures, where disbanding between the face sheet and core of sandwich components is a critical damage mode. 

The Researcher position will initially be funded by projects awarded by the EU and the aircraft industry, but it is expected that the funding profile will vary along with the research projects the Researcher will be involved in.

The Lightweight Structures group has over 20 years of experience, developing both advanced fracture mechanical computational analysis methods as well as test methods to address the criticality of damage in composite and sandwich structures in relation to damage tolerance and structural damage assessment. The candidate will extend this work and participate in on-going and coming research and development activities within this research field, but with focus on computational mechanics.

Responsibilities and qualifications 

You will be responsible for research within computational mechanics and fracture mechanics analysis of composite structures i.e. in aircrafts, containing adhesive and disband damages.

The research activities will initially include one or more of the following areas:

• Advanced finite element modelling of disband damaged composite and sandwich structures using cohesive and fracture mechanical analysis routines.
• Further development of existing analysis models using ABAQUS, to include advanced panel shapes and load configurations reflecting actual geometry and loading configurations.
• Validation of the developed analysis models against advanced structural testing performed in DTU Structural Lab, using advanced mixed-mode fracture mechanics characterization input data to the models.
• Close cooperation with industry partners to use the developed analysis models to generate large parametric data sets for the calibration of simpler closed-form engineering analysis tools for the design and certification of composite aircraft components.
• Participate and contribute with computational analysis support in the development of standardized fracture mechanics test standards for sandwich materials in close cooperation with international partners and standardization organizations (eg. ASTM).
• Contribute to the development of new volumes within the CMH-17 organization and network (https://www.cmh17.org).

It is important that you can work independently but also work in close cooperation with both other members of the Lightweight Structures group and the section, as well as both national and international partners in the associated research projects and networks.

You should have a PhD degree or equivalent in computational mechanics, preferably involving damage mechanics, fracture mechanics and composite materials and/or structures.

As formal qualification you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent).

Application procedure

To apply, please read the full job advertisement via the ‘Apply’ button above.

Read more about DTU at www.dtu.dk/english.

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